Preliminary investigations indicate molten aluminum hitting water caused explosions that injured more than 30 employees at a New Madrid, Missouri aluminum plant, according to Fed-OSHA, which says 33 workers were hurt. A Noranda spokesman has said none of the injuries was critical. Southeast Missourian

The Obama administration is proposing new safety rules to limit workplace exposure to beryllium, a type of metal used in aerospace, electronics and other industries that can cause serious health problems when it’s ground into dust and inhaled. The plan announced Thursday by Fed-OSHA would reduce exposure limits to one-tenth of the amount currently allowed. […]

A new summary of the science makes a strong case for occupational links to breast cancer and calls on Congress, regulators and researchers to pay more attention to chemical exposures and other risk factors. Center for Public Integrity

A proposed $50,000 Fed-OSHA fine issued against a Cedar Grove, New Jersey perfume factory was lowered by 30 percent following an informal conference last week, according to an agency spokeswoman. Verona-Cedar Grove Times/NorthJersey

Fed-OSHA cited a Newark, New Jersey recycling plant with more than a dozen serious safety and health violations on Thursday. G&F Recycling and Salvage Inc. a recycling facility allegedly exposed its workers to amputation hazards by not having procedures to prevent inadvertent machine start-up, known in the industry as lockout/tagout. Newark Patch

Fed-OSHA has proposed more than $60,000 in penalties to a Hutchinson, Kansas boiler manufacturer after inspections uncovered 17 serious safety violations. In one of the most serious violations, Superior Boiler Works, Inc. is alleged to have exposed employees to falls by having a platform without railings. Topeka Capital-Journal

Two contracting companies and two of their employees were indicted Wednesday in connection with the death of a worker who was buried by debris earlier this year at a Manhattan construction site. The defendants are accused of failing to address repeated warnings about unsafe working conditions at the site on Ninth Avenue in the Meatpacking […]

Employers whose workers are exposed to diacetyl now can obtain guidance from a new NIOSH document. The resource, released in July, recommends best practices such as engineering controls, work practices and exposure monitoring to help reduce workers’ exposures to the organic compound, which is commonly used as an artificial butter flavoring. Safety+Health